Bear Sized Problems

 

A story is told of two hunters that came across a bear so big that they dropped their rifles and ran for cover.  One man climbed a tree while the other hid in a nearby cave.  The bear was in no hurry to eat, so he sat down between the tree and the cave to reflect upon his good fortune.  Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, the hunter in the cave came rushing out, almost ran into the waiting bear, hesitated, and then dashed back in again.  The same thing happened a second time.  When he emerged for the third time, his companion in the tree frantically called out, "Woody, are you crazy?  Stay in the cave until he leaves!"  "Can't," panted Woody, "there's another bear in there."

Do you ever feel like you are caught between a rock and a hard place?  Or maybe it feels more like being trapped between two bears.  There are certainly times in life when everything comes crashing down at once.  Problems, struggles, and difficulties come one after another and leave us feeling overwhelmed.  When these problems come our way, let’s remember some of the encouraging messages from God.

1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

James 4:8a – “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”

Matthew 6:25, 33 – “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?... But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Even though it may not feel like it at times, God takes care of His people.  This doesn’t mean we won’t face problems in life, but at the very least we know that when we stay faithful to the Lord we can reach the place where God will take care of us eternally.  So, next time we face bear sized problems, let’s remember some of the encouraging messages from God.

Not Your Typical Leader

 

I came across an author who made an interesting contrast between who Christ was as opposed to how others thought He would be.

“A Roman leader would have ridden in a chariot pulled by magnificent white stallions--Jesus entered the city on a donkey, and a borrowed one!

A political leader would have been surrounded by security guards who would have kept crowds from close physical contact to prevent any personal harm to him--Jesus was surrounded by his disciples representing many walks of life and rode into the midst of the people, almost at their height.

A military leader would have galloped along the road, passing the crowds with perhaps a wave of the hand or a nod of the head if there were any recognition at all--Jesus on a donkey moved slowly with the people, accompanying the people, as well as accompanied by the people.

A religious leader in traditional, appropriate priestly robes would have moved sedately through the crowds surrounded by an orderly contingency of other religious leaders who would've prevented anyone who was unclean from touching him--Jesus, dressed in his usual attire, moved humbly through the crowds, surrounded by his diverse band of disciples, not shrinking from the touch of anyone.”

(Ruth Daugherty, Issues Of Leadership Into The 21st Century, Viewpoint, Summer 1991, p. 2).

Jesus certainly was not the expected or stereotypical leader.  Jesus spent His entire ministry telling His disciples and convincing others that He was not going to be the earthly leader they wanted.  Jesus wasn’t the typical leader, and as a result, neither was His kingdom.  In John 18:38, Jesus said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Jesus certainly didn’t fill the expected mold of a king in most people’s eyes.  Despite all of this, Christ became a king that was far beyond all we could have asked for.  He is perfectly loving, forgiving, and kind.  He takes care of us and protects us from the internal enemy of sin.  He was a king who was willing to die for you and me.  He is preparing us a heavenly kingdom filled with supreme peace and happiness.  No, Jesus wasn’t the typical leader, and we should praise God that He wasn’t.  What a magnificent heavenly King we serve!

Don’t You Judge Me!

Matthew 7:1 says, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged.”  Ever since Jesus uttered these words, people have been misapplying and misunderstanding them.  Often people get very defensive of their lives and yell, “Don’t you judge me!  God says not to judge people!”  Are they right?  What did Jesus really mean when He spoke these famous words?

Let’s first understand what judgment is NOT.  Let’s say I come across a person who is a known homosexual, or a murderer, or some other sin.  I walk up to that person and say, “Look, I love and care for you, but it is wrong for you to continue living the way you are.”  Have I just judged that person?  No.  The reason is because God has already clearly said in Scripture that these acts are sinful.  In other words, God has already judged on these matters.  So, if I tell someone they are wrong for engaging in some sin that God condemns, I have not judged them because God already did the judging.  I simply became a mouthpiece for what God has judged against.

Let’s now look at what judgment really is.  Let's say that I'm walking down the street and see two men walking towards me.  They are both wearing clothes that are somewhat tight, very fashionable, with bright pink and purple colors.  They both speak with higher pitch voices, lisps, and they flail their hands around a lot as they speaks.  If I were to take these clues, maybe along with a couple of others, I might come to the judgment that these men are gay together.  So, I say to them, “You are both wrong for living a homosexual lifestyle!”  Have I just judged these men?  Yes.  The reason is because I do not actually know if they are gay or not.  For all I know, they could both be married to wonderful women and have great families with children.  At this point I have become guilty of Matthew 7:1.

The difference in the two situations is about knowing the facts.  We need to do our best not to judge people when we don’t actually know what they are thinking, saying, or have done.  Only once we know the truth and see what God has said on the topic can we make an accurate judgment.

So, let’s draw 2 conclusions about this.  (1) When a person is caught in any kind of sin, is confronted about it, and responds with “Don’t judge me,” we have not judged them at all because God already has.  Sometimes people respond this way because they don’t want to change their way of living.  (2) When we assume something about a person and make a negative assessment about him or her without know the facts, we have crossed the line into judgment.

It’s hard not to be judgmental in our culture and is certainly something we need to strive to improve.  Hopefully by knowing what judgment really is, we can seek to avoid and correct it in our lives.

Concussions

 

There has been a growing amount of discussion on head injuries the last several years, especially in sports.  The more we are learning about the brain, the more we are coming to realize just how dangerous concussions can be.  If a person breaks an arm, pulls a muscle, or tears a ligament, it is nowhere near as serious as injuring the brain.  After all, a single injury to the brain can paralyze the entire body!  There is simply nothing more serious than a head injury.

The church is often referred to as a “body” (Romans 12:4f; 1 Corinthians 12:26f; Colossians 1:17f).  All of New Testament Christians in the world make up the parts of this body.  The head of this body is Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:18).  Similar to our actual bodies, it is often injured.  The church body has been subject to attacks, divisions, and many other forms of damage.  Certainly we have ourselves to blame for many of these issues.  However, thanks be to God that the Head of the church, Christ, is so well protected.  Ever since He ascended into heaven, no man has been able to lay a finger on Christ.  Even Satan is powerless to hurt Him.  Never will the church’s head be injured.

Even though we worry about head injuries, we do not need to worry about the head of the New Testament church. We never have to worry about a crippling blow to the church.  Not only is Christ perfectly protected, but He also happens to be all-powerful and all-knowing.  Christ will always reign as the church’s head.  What a blessing it is to be part of a church body with Christ as head over us!

Converted To What?

Neal Pollard

Jesus said, "Unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3).  Paul preached that there is no spiritual healing unless one is converted (Acts 28:27).  To be converted means literally to twist, turn around, and reverse.  In spiritual application, the word means to leave one thing for another.  In evangelism, the attempt is to turn one from the world to Christ.  However, people have been known to turn from the world to something other than Jesus and His doctrine.  This is unfortunate, but true.  Consider a few deadly alternative to conversion to the Lord.
Some are converted to emotions.  Without question, emotion lies at the heart of a person's makeup.  Emotion must play a prominent role in both becoming a Christian and living as a Christian.  The people present on Pentecost were pierced to the heart and cried out, "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37).  Tears are commonplace among godly Christians, contemplating the Lord's Supper, pleading with the lost, and saying goodbye to another saint who is leaving the area or life.  Christians are joyful people, quick to smile and laugh.  There should be righteous anger at the display of unrighteousness.  Emotions are essential to Christianity, but some are overly enamored with emotion.  They are big on "feeling" something. The paramount gauge of a sermon's success is if it made them laugh or cry, not if it was true or false.  "Touchy-feely" is preeminent, whether or not it rings true doctrinally.  One converted to emotion in such a way is converted to the wrong thing.
Some are converted to personalities.  The church is composed of people, and some folks are more likable than others.  Each Christian should so live as to be attractive, just as Christ was (cf. Matt. 4:25; 8:1; 12:15; etc.).  Yet, some are converted to people.  Their loyalty is to the preacher, an elder, or some family in the congregation.  When that preacher leaves, they cease coming.  Whatever that family believes or advocates, they blindly follow and mimic.  It is so easy to become blinded to human loyalties that it overshadows a concern for what is right and biblical.  Multitudes are loyal to false teachers, despite clear, multiplied errors in their teaching.  Paul said to follow him as he followed Jesus (1 Cor. 11:1), but he never wanted anyone to follow him instead of Jesus.  One converted to personality is converted to the wrong thing.
Some are converted to social programs.  Churches need to both edify and reach out.  Fellowship is vital, and socializing together can make us all stronger.  The first-century church did this (Acts 2:46).  Yet, some make a decision with eternal implications based on what that church has "going on."  Becoming a member of Christ's church is not the same as choosing a social club, civic organization, or health club.  Doctrine matters.  A church--even the Lord's church--may scratch a million social itches and not accurately dispense the balm of Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.  One converted to social programs is converted to the wrong thing.
The church must not be or become emotionless.  It should be filled with people whose personalities draw all men to Christ, and are as such magnetic (cf. John 12:32).  Fellowship together, time spent in recreation and socializing together, should characterize us.  Yet, all of these are tools.  When they become the end rather than a means to an end, they have usurped their place.  With Paul, we must faithfully determine "to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).  He is the integral, not the incidental. He is pivotal and not peripheral.  He is essential rather than esoteric.  We must keep the first thing the first thing!  Be converted to the Lord!